The Shame of Ma Ying-jeou: Chen
Shui-bian and Taiwanese Silence
自取其辱的馬英九
譯者/北卡州立大學機械航空系教授 凃瑞峰
Taiwan is
under threat. It is not under threat from a military force across the Strait.
It is not under threat of economic collapse due to global shifts. It's not even
under the level of threat that much of the region is facing due to climate
changes. Taiwan is rotting from within, and it is the responsibility of each
and every citizen of Taiwan as well as a globe which watches with backs turned
that it is such.
台灣正面臨威脅。它不是海峽對岸的軍事威脅，也不是由於全球性不景氣的經濟崩潰威脅，更不是全世界普遍面臨的氣候變化威脅。台灣是從內部腐爛，該承擔責任的是台灣的每一位公民，甚至全世界所有故意視而不見，背棄人權的人士。
Not long
ago, Taiwan made strides in human rights and political development to catch up
with the economic explosion that preceded it but had sadly left rights and
participatory politics behind. Suddenly, Taiwan began to reexamine the legacy
of one-party rule and the excesses that were engendered against those who dared
to dissent or who merely found themselves on the wrong side of the ruling
class. Taiwan was proud of itself and had every reason to be. With a National
Health Insurance scheme that is inclusive, a rapidly modernized infrastructure,
and an economic engine of innovation and investment, the arts and culture
blossomed along with political freedoms.
台灣的人權與民主政治長期受到壓制，不久之前，好不容易人權與民主終於有了進展，追上急速發展的經濟。如今，一夜變色，一黨獨大的幽靈又重現，回到白色恐怖時代，異議人士或不經意不和統治者站在一起的人都可能受到迫害。台灣人民可以對過去的民主成就引以為榮，政治自由帶來許多傲人的進步，包括全民健保，現代化的基礎建設，創新和投資的經濟引擎，蓬勃的發展的文化藝術等等。
Now? Those
days are gone. Not only is the media divided to the point of being a ragpile on
each side, but there is little to no discussion between parties in the
unicameral legislature and to say nothing of the dysfunction seen in the
judiciary. This problem does not emanate from the character of the Taiwanese,
but of the intransigence of the current president Ma Ying-jeou and his
unwillingness to recognize that the only civil course of action would be to
release Chen Shui-bian on medical and compassionate grounds and to move on.
現在呢？那些日子已經一去不返。現在各個媒體立場極端，國會由於國民黨獨大也沒有討論與協調的空間，最讓人擔憂是人民對司法的信心已經崩盤。這些問題不是台灣人民的性格所造成，是現任總統馬英九所造的孽。馬先生缺乏同理心，他不願意承認，只有基於醫療和人性的理由釋放陳水扁，台灣才能向上提昇，不再沉淪。
After all,
Ma chose ten solid human rights people to come to Taiwan and make
recommendations. They did and the last one was to relase Mr. Chen Shui-bian. So
did Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois as well
as many GOP members of Congress.
畢竟，馬先生邀請了十位人權專家到台灣，為改善台灣人權提出建言。他們的最後一項建議是釋放陳水扁先生。美國俄亥俄州參議員雪瑞‧布朗(Sherrod Brown)和伊利諾州的參議員迪克‧德賓(Dick Durbin) 以及許多美國共和黨議員，都呼籲儘速讓陳水扁先生回家治療。
There is
considerable comment on the notion that no release is warranted because Chen is
"not that sick" or that the law must be obeyed. It's come from all
directions, from (very clearly) government-directed flunkies who issue
statements about as persuasive as anything the Soviets used to trot out and it
has come from the opposition under the rubric of just letting it pass out of
sight, out of mind. However, Mr. Chen Shui Bien sits in a hospital bed in a
shanty with weekly medical visits.
很明顯地，馬政府透過各種管道釋出許多雜音，宣稱陳水扁的病沒有嚴重到可以保外就醫的程度，或是假藉法律之前人人平等似是而非的理由來搪塞。這些藉口的說服力和以前蘇聯的官方傳聲筒一樣，沒有任何可信度。不幸的是，一些在野黨人士也附和，對陳水扁的處境裝作不知道或欲除之而後快。陳水扁先生則繼續被困在台中監獄簡陋鐵皮屋內，讓他每週一次聊不勝無，看看醫生。
Here's the
thing, though. Chen's incarceration shows the sham of Ma's sensible practices.
Firstly, one must believe a staggering conspiracy is at work among the medical
community to create a fictive world where Chen is secretly healthy. This is
absurd. It is clearly the less-obvious rationale to the idea that the ruling
party has instructed people in its direct chain-of-command to issue statements
proclaiming the health of Chen. Secondly, it is a dubious practice to have a
political party transition (particularly one from the opposition back to the
historic ruling single party) made suspect by the immediate prosecution and
jailing of Mr Chen.
陳水扁的監禁突顯馬英九的虛假，當別人都是白癡。首先，我們必須相信台灣的醫界共謀創建一個虛構的世界，而陳先生在裏面健康的生活著。要不然，為什麼馬政府一再指示它的官方傳聲筒不斷發表聲明，宣布陳的身體健康毫無大恙。另一個荒謬是，為什麼一個再獲政權的前專權政黨即刻對陳水扁以司法與監禁進行政治報復，來讓人民對它的專制野心再起疑竇。
There is
near-universal consensus in the medical community on the gravity of Chen's
condition. There has been considerable comment from credible human rights
investigators on the continued incarceration. There is a lot of data to suggest
that the political grudge-settling that the KMT leadership is engaging in will
cause long-term friction in an already fractured society and likely cost them
dearly at the polls.
台灣的醫學界已經普遍的共識，認定陳水扁的病情極其嚴重。國際人權組織也對他繼續被監禁頗有意見。大量的民調數據顯示，國民黨高層的政治報復會造成台灣已分裂的社會長久的不安與族群間的磨擦，國民黨更可能因此喪失大量選票。
One would
imagine that Taiwanese might be galvanized to keep pace and stay in front with
regard to political freedoms and sensible medical compassion of prisoners.
Sadly, under the increasingly unpopular regime of Ma Ying-jeou, this is not the
case. With a dead end at any further run for office, one would imagine that Ma
would want to leave a legacy of respect and a model that suggested that old
grudges could be buried without burying the hatchet in political opponents.
What is happening suggests a strangely concerted effort to cause Chen permanent
injury and possibly death out of sight in a prison cell.
我們以為台灣會全力維護政治自由以及受刑人的醫療人權。可悲的是，在馬英九的日益不得人心的政權下，情況並非如此。馬英九已經不能再連任，我們以為馬會儘量替自己留下一個好的聲名與歷史定位，馬會想證明政治不需要打破頭，可以不計前嫌，理性的競爭。然而，過去五年的種種虐扁事實，確認馬是有計劃地要讓陳死得很難看，讓他死在牢裏，避人耳目。
If you are
Taiwanese and care about human rights, contact nationwide local KMT offices and
let them know that you will refuse to vote for any KMT candidate if Ma fails to
release Chen on compassionate pardon. If you are a U.S. Citizen, contact your
congressional representatives and ask about the commitment to human rights.
Let's get the pressure on. Don't let this former president die in prison due to
medical neglect and personal political grudges. Move forward, Taiwan. Stand
firm on human rights, world. Enough is enough. Justice has been more than amply
served with four years served and injuries/disabilities acquired through
planned neglect. Let Chen leave the prison and go home. Let Taiwan move into
the future with dignity rather than shame.
如果你是關心人權的台灣人民，你應該與當地國民黨辦公室聯繫，明確讓他們知道，如果馬不以人性考量赦免釋放陳水扁，你絕對不會投票給任何國民黨候選人。如果你是一個美國公民，請你聯繫你的國會代表，要求他們關心陳水扁的人權。讓我們的聲音形成一股巨大的壓力。不要讓這位前總統由於監獄刻意的醫療疏忽和馬個人的政治怨恨，含冤死在監獄裡。台灣請向上提昇，全世界請鞏固人權。夠了！該是放手的時候了。超過四年的監禁以及刻意的醫療疏忽，已經造成他永久傷害和殘疾。就算是執行司法，這些懲罰已都夠了。請讓陳水扁離開監獄，回家療養。台灣應該有尊嚴地邁向未來，不要自取其辱。
